The Plumb Line of God’s Standard
One day, the Old Testament prophet Amos sees three visions. One of these is that of a plumb line. This tool involves a cord with a weight at one end that is held up to the top of a structure. As gravity pulls the weight downward, you can determine whether vertical structures are straight by comparison.
Here, the image of a plumb line is used symbolically to refer to the godly standard against which the Lord would measure the behavior of his people. He had found Israel’s leadership to be chronically crooked, and as a result, the nation would be judged harshly, being laid waste as the house of Jeroboam fell by the sword.
We can glean a few concepts for our lives and behavior from this vivid account of the three visions. God has standards. God hasn’t left us to fend for ourselves, trying to figure out how to live our lives here on earth. His Word is our plumb line, and in Scripture we find both directives for living as well as warnings for what might happen when we ignore his instructions.
Each of us has a response to his standards. We have a choice. We can choose to follow after God, obeying his commands, or we can reject his standards and make up our own rules in life. Each choice has ramifications.
Praise God for both his plumb line, which shows us how to live, and his mercy shown to us when our behavior fails to measure up to his standards.
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